Modelo beer workers killed while cleaning tank at Mexican brewery

Seven workers were killed Sunday while cleaning a tank at a brewery in Mexico City for Mexico’s Grupo Modelo, the parent company of Corona beer, the company and local authorities said. Few details about the accident were immediately released.

Authorities in Mexico City have reported that the 7 workers died in a tank at a Grupo Modelo brewery. The workers were said to have been cleaning the tank, and it is thought likely that they may have died from toxic fumes, although investigators are still currently looking into the incident to confirm the cause of death.

The deaths occurred yesterday morning in a tank that was undergoing maintenance and cleaning, a spokeswoman for owners Grupo Modelo said.
A company statement said: “Modelo is deeply sorry for this incident and will ¬support the affected families permanently.”

The deaths occurred yesterday morning in a tank that was undergoing maintenance and cleaning, a spokeswoman for owners Grupo Modelo said.
A company statement said: “Modelo is deeply sorry for this incident and will ¬support the affected families permanently.”

“Early in the morning of April 7, we had an accident at Cervecería Modelo in Mexico City, which occurred in a confined area in a tank in which cleaning and upkeep works were being done,” said Jennifer Shelley, a spokeswoman for Grupo Modelo. “Unfortunately the accident resulted in seven deaths.”

Building manager at the brewery, Francisco Lopez Bravo, has also explained that the 7 workers got locked inside the cistern as they went about cleaning the tanks. The company did not give details of how the workers died. The family-controlled Mexican brewer, maker of the No 1 imported beer in the United States

There is no remaining risk to the surrounding neighborhood, the environment or the rest of the plant and its personnel, Shelley said in the statement. The brewery is operating normally and production is not expected to be affected, she said in an e-mailed response to questions.

Cervecería Modelo, with currently a total capacity of 11.1 million hectoliters, was the company’s first plant and began operating in 1925. Grupo Modelo is in the process of being sold to Belgium’s Anheuser-Busch InBev, but Grupo Modelo’s name, identity, heritage and Mexico City headquarters will be maintained.

The brewery has been in operation in Mexico City since 1925, and brews a number of popular beers including Corona. The brewery is also in the process of being sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The families of the deceased workers have been contacted, and officials at the brewery have said that it plans to support them through the difficult time. A statement released has said, “Modelo is deeply sorry for this incident and will support the affected families permanently.”